ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS FOOTBALL

November 11, 2023

Leo Lowin

Jabari Moore

Press Conference

Army 17, Holy Cross 14

Q. Leo, you got off to a good start, you made the sack that forced Holy Cross to punt in the first series and then you get the block, and you had a sack and a fumble recovery. How important was it to get off to a good start?

LEO LOWIN: It was huge. I think we always play our best when we get off to a good start, when we come out hot out of the locker room. That proved to be true again today.

We've just got to keep doing that for the next two games.

Q. Jabari, you were playing a very good quarterback today, but you were containing him for the most part. What did it take?

JABARI MOORE: It was definitely a challenge because not only did he have the passing attack, but he also could make plays on the ground, so just being disciplined in our scheme of the defense was the key.

Q. That pass breakup, that 4th down play, can you walk us through that and what you're seeing? He tried to fool you but you weren't fooled.

JABARI MOORE: Yeah, definitely Coach Woody got us in a good call. We knew there was a threat for a pop pass, so just reading keys and playing it like that.

Q. Making that play here at home, one of your last games at home, what did that mean to you?

JABARI MOORE: It's definitely special, just making plays with our teammates. Leo, he was hyped after the play and just being able to celebrate together is special, especially with these last few home games coming up.

Q. Leo, your two sacks had major repercussions in this game. The first sack leads to a blocked punt and the second sack leads to a fumble. What did you see on that fumble that allowed you to get the ball back and push the momentum you guys' way?

LEO LOWIN: Yeah, it was actually a similar call to the one we had down on the goal line. It was just put to my gap, I saw the guard pull, so I went across with him and ended up just kind of in the right spot.

I just went and tried to make a play and it ended up in our favor.

Q. What did Holy Cross do so differently in the fourth quarter, and what allowed you guys to withstand their late rally?

JABARI MOORE: Just play calling. Coach Woody does a great job of just setting us up for success and leading the game, and it's up to us to go out there and execute, and I feel like we did that.

Q. Obviously you've probably dealt with this question and it's probably not going to be your first or last time doing it, but what does it mean to secure a win in West Point on Veterans Day?

LEO LOWIN: Yeah, we were talking about that, but I mean, a tremendous honor just to be able to represent the Army in general, and I think we try to instill a lot of the Army values into the way we play, the way we have this program, our culture, and kind of what we embody, and I think -- I hope we did a good job putting it on this play today.

JABARI MOORE: Definitely just representing all those men and women out there that are serving us, I feel like we do a good job of just representing that just gritty, black flag, don't-give-up attitude.

Q. After the big win against Air Force last week, there's always a chance of a letdown here. Doesn't seem like that was the case at all with the blocked punt and the way you guys played throughout most of the game. Talk about that if you could.

LEO LOWIN: Sure, I think we did a really good job of just making sure people were still on edge. We still have a lot to prove this season. Although that was definitely a big win last week.

But we've got another opportunity in front of us. At the end of the day, I know for me personally after this game I've got two more games left, so I can't regret a single step I take on that field or on this practice field or in the weight room, and I think that goes for the whole team.

JABARI MOORE: Definitely just through the course of the season, never getting too high or too low. Obviously last week was a great win, but just the way the team got together this week and was able to prepare and just stay focused on the task and not reliving last week too much was great.

Q. They were averaging 40 points a game coming in. You held them to 14 today. Their passing game was not what many of us expected. Talk about that if you could.

LEO LOWIN: Sure, I think they had a lot of great players. They played as hard as any team I think we've played all year. They've got some good athletes in that quarterback, those running backs, really good wide receiver, and their O-line blocked well. So there's no surprise that they were averaging 40 points a game.

To come in here and play hard and play for all four quarters, I'm not surprised at all, but I'm really glad our defense was stepped up. Played hard and matched that same energy and could keep them to 14 like we did.

Q. No. 80 is a big-time player, and you guys stopped him. Anything special against him that you were seeing?

JABARI MOORE: I feel like just everyone came out there and just played within their role in the defense and just made plays when the opportunity presented itself.

Q. They got into your territory six of the eight possessions out there, but they only emerged with two touchdowns. What was the key of bearing down once they got to the cusp of the red zone?

JABARI MOORE: Well, definitely it's a staple of our plan to win on the goal line, so I feel like once they get down there, the whole defense, we're locked in. We're ready to make a play.

LEO LOWIN: Yeah, just a no-quit attitude. We're not going to make it easy on anybody to score a touchdown. Whether they're driving the ball, whatever, we're going to make it as hard as possible for them to actually get it in.

Q. Jabari, take us through again the 4th and 1 stop that you made, the pass right over the center. What were you thinking? How did you happen to be in that spot at that moment?

JABARI MOORE: Like I said, Coach Woody does a great job putting us in positions to make plays. It was just a man-to-man, and like I said, there was a threat of a pop pass, so just reading keys and reading through what the offense is doing and seeing that guy release, I was able to go over there and make a play.

Q. Is that your experience over the number of games you've played, situations like that, that you knew what the play was and were able to make it?

JABARI MOORE: It's definitely easier to see the flow of the game with experience, and that's what I'm trying to pass down to the young guys for when I go.

Q. Just talk about how well your defense played and how you were able to keep them from scoring the amount of points that they did because they were scoring 40 points a game and your defense played extremely well. Just talk about that.

LEO LOWIN: I think Coach Woody does a great job getting us prepared. We knew they were going to be a really good team, and this was a big opportunity for us to play well. So we went out there and just executed our job to the best of our ability, and I think we did a really good job of stopping them when they were in scoring position.

I think that really helped us out a lot.

Q. Having that big win over Air Force last week, how did you guys mentally prepare for this week's game against Holy Cross?

JABARI MOORE: Definitely just on Sunday after the Air Force game, we celebrated that Saturday, but on Sunday it was time to refocus and get ready for this week. So just being able to reset and game plan for this week was huge.

Q. Leo, it appeared that on several occasions, you were personally attracting their quarterback, Sluka, although he had a productive day, 171 yards on the ground. Was that part of the defensive game plan?

LEO LOWIN: Not necessarily. I think we were just kind of playing our coverage, and it happened to be that way.

But he doesn't make it easy on you, that's for sure. I think we did a good job of containing him for the most part, or at least in those big situations kind of getting a stop.

Q. Jabari, great read on the 4th and goal. Would you say today's defensive play was more bend-and-don't-break style because you guys gave up 26 1st downs, 395 total yards, but you held them to 14 points, and the defense had one interception and one fumble recovery.

JABARI MOORE: I feel like definitely when they get down on the goal line, it's time to bow up and make a stop. But just all the credit goes to Coach Woody just getting us in that position. Yeah, they might get a 1st down here or there, but we know when it's time to make a play.